1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to equipment used for sun shading and more particularly to a combination chair and umbrella assembly adapted for convenient use and easy of breakdown for storage or portability.
2. Description of Related Art
The following art defines the present state of this field:
Rohr, U.S. Des. Pat. No. 250,300 describes a combined chair and parasol design.
Day, U.S. Pat. No. 4,823,821 describes an umbrella expanded by spring action and collapsed by spring action. Both spring actions are initiated by a single push button which is manually manipulated in the same manner for initiating both spring actions.
Stein et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,110,184 describes a novel beach chair which is supported on a spike that is connected to the lower portion of the chair by a bearing arrangement such that when the spike is inserted into the ground the upper portion upon which a person is seated can be rotated relative to the lower portion of the spike to allow the seat to be rotated so as to follow the sun or for other purposes. Umbrella and pockets are also provided on the chair as well as a handle and ground wheels for moving the chair to and from the beach.
DeMars, U.S. Pat. No. 5,350,215 describes a chair that is constructed of a plurality of interconnected tubular frame members with a flexible fabric-like cover covering sections of the tubular frame members forming a back section and a seat section. The chair is foldable from an extended/usable position to a retracted/stowage position. The chair includes armrests and attached to each armrest is a flexible walled container which is insulated to be usable to store beverage containers in a refrigerated condition. These flexible walled containers are joinable together when the chair is in the retracted/stowage position with the joining of these containers facilitating retaining of the chair in this retracted/stowage position. Back pack straps are attached to the back section which permits the chair to be carried on the back of a human being when the chair is in the retracted/stowage position.
Springmann, U.S. Pat. No. 5,641,197 describes an improved collapsible sports chair of the type having a collapsible chair assembly including a collapsing frame having four leg members, a seat support member supported by the four leg members, and a back support member hingedly connected to the seat support member wherein the improvement comprises the addition of a cooler assembly, including a rail mechanism and a cooler member slidably connected with the rail mechanism, secured beneath the seat support member; a multi-position umbrella support mechanism, secured to the back surface of the back support member; and a flexible storage bag member having four flexible tether members each including a securing clip attached to the distal end thereof, each securing clip being insertable within one of four securing clip receiving members provided on the back surface of the back support member.
The prior art teaches the user of umbrellas with beach chairs and the like, but does not teach a simple locking-ear method of attachment of an umbrella to a chair. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides further related advantages as described in the following summary.
The present invention teaches certain benefits in construction and use which give rise to the objectives described below.
A chair provides a chair seat portion and a chair back portion and an umbrella assembly adapted for mounting on the chair back portion. The umbrella assembly includes a receiver tube adapted for receiving an umbrella post to support the umbrella in an upright attitude. The receiver tube provides a pair of L-shaped ears extending from an exterior surface, and the chair back portion provides a mounting block engaged on a rear surface of the chair back portion. The mounting block is adapted for receiving the pair of L-shaped ears within a corresponding pair of L-shaped holes in the mounting block so as to stabilize the umbrella assembly on the chair and yet allow it to be easy removed as desired.
A primary objective of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and method of use of such apparatus that provides advantages not taught by the prior art.
Another objective is to provide such an invention capable of mounting an umbrella on a chair back.
A further objective is to provide such an invention capable of enabling simple removal of the umbrella as desired.
A still further objective is to provide such an invention capable of simple and secure mounting to a chair back.